New Delhi: The Indian National Congress is going through its worst phase in the history of Independent India. While the grand old party is finding it extremely difficult to find an answer to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's style of politics, the Congress has encountered another huge problem, which is fund crunch.
To overcome the crisis, Congress has asked its MPs to donate money for the party, said sources.
Party treasurer Motilal Vora has reportedly asked all Congress MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to donate their one-month salary.
Sources say that the Delhi state unit had a meeting yesterday, in which former lawmakers were asked to deposit Rs 1 lakh each for party fund by the first week of October. Senior leader PC Chacko and Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken will meet former lawmakers of the state and Parliament individually tomorrow to discuss the issue, after receiving Vora's letter.
The grand old party has been facing fund crunch since last year's General Elections. It is being reported that many corporates had sensed Congress' defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and shifted loyalty towards Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Congress faced huge shortage of funds during Assembly Elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, Delhi, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir, reports suggested.
Earlier this year, the Congress had decided to ask its workers to contribute Rs 250 annually to the party coffers to make the organisation self-sufficient, said sources.
According to sources, there is no upper limit, but the party would be seeking donations more than Rs 1 lakh.
"Earlier also MPs, MLAs and MLCs from the party used to donate their one month salary in party fund... Hence its time that ex-MPs, ex-MLAs, ex-MLCs, senior office bearers of the party, councillors and others, who are capable, should pitch in," said a former party MP said on the condition of anonymity.
